How They Met Alice (BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

Oh, my. This one is long... I should regulate the chapter lengths... eep :/ Oh well, please comment!

(Alice’s POV: )

 In the morning we met up at Scotland Yard. We were all in Lestrade’s office. Sherlock was standing at the window with his hands raised in front of his mouth and his fingers tapping together. John was sitting opposite Lestrade at his desk. I was leaning against the wall by the door with my hands in my pockets and one foot against the wall.

“She lives in Cornwall. Two men broke in wearing masks, forced her to drive to the car park and decked her out in enough explosives to take down a house.” Lestrade said. He looked up at Sherlock as he walked over to the desk. “Told her to phone you. She had to read out from this pager.” He finished, putting the pager onto the desk in front of John, who picked it up to look at it.

“And if she deviated by one word, the sniper would set her off.” I said, very much enjoying myself.

“Or if you hadn’t solved the case.” John added. I was smiling at the… oh, I couldn’t find the word. Sherlock had walked back to the window and softly as if he was talking to himself said,

 “Oh. Elegant.” He said quietly. I grinned, as I had found my word, and Sherlock agreed with me. John raised his head and sighed in exasperation.

“’Elegant’?” He asked, face palming.

“But what was the point? Why would anyone do this?” Lestrade asked, surprised anyone would.

“Oh – I can’t be the only person in the world that gets bored.” Sherlock said as if it was obvious. He glanced at me and I glared at him, not wanting to get into a conversation like that right then. Just then the pink phone beeped a message alert. John turned round to him as he activated the phone.

“You have one new message.” The voice alert announced. As Sherlock walked towards Lestrade’s desk, the phone sounded the Greenwich pips again, but this time there were three short pips and one long one.

“Four pips.” John said, stating the bl**din’ obvious. I rolled my eyes.

“First test passed, it would seem. Here’s the second.” I said. Sherlock showed a new photograph to the others. It was a close-up of a car with its driver’s door open and the number plate clearly visible. John and Lestrade got up to take a closer look, and outside in the main office a phone rang.

“It’s abandoned, wouldn’t you say?” Sherlock asked.

“I’ll see if it’s been reported.” Lestrade said, picking up his phone. Sergeant Donovan came in holding another phone.

“Freak, it’s for you.” She said. Sherlock walked over to the door and took the phone from her. I gave the woman a nasty look before her leaving. John sat down again and Sherlock walked out into the general office and raised the phone to his ear. I followed him.

“Hello?” He said. The frightened voice of a young man came over the phone.

“It’s okay that you’ve gone to the police.” He said.

“Who is this? Is this you again?” Sherlock demanded, getting angry.

“But don’t rely on them.” He continued. In Lestrade’s office, John looked round and sat up as he saw the look on Sherlock’s face. “Clever you, guessing about Carl Powers.” He congratulated. “I never liked him.” Sherlock looked round sharply at that. “Carl laughed at me, so I stopped him laughing.” John came out of the office and walked closer to Sherlock, looking at him in concern. I held a hand out towards John, telling him to wait.